Cane billet planter

Abstract

Apparatus for planting cane billets including a bin assembly for carrying cane billets to be planted, a rotor supported at one end of the bin assembly, the rotor having a plurality of vanes which gather billets from the top of the bin assembly and direct billets into grooves between the vanes for depositing into a hopper, the hopper having a pair of endless conveying chains at its lower end, the chains moving in opposite directions to convey billets to feed chutes for depositing in a planting furrow.

I claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for planting elongate cane billets in planting furrows, said apparatus comprising a mobile frame assembly, an elongated hopper assembly on said frame assembly for receiving billets to be planted, a pair of conveyor means associated with said hopper assembly and arranged to receive billets therefrom, each said conveyor means including an endless chain having a run extending longitudinally of said hopper assembly, said chain runs being disposed adjacent, and extending substantially parallel to each other, a plurality of spaced apart billet engaging projections on each said chain, said projections extending upwardly from said chain runs and defining therebetween respective compartments for individual said billets, said billets when disposed in said compartments lying substantially parallel to said chain runs, and elongated divider between said chain runs and extending substantially parallel thereto, said divider extending upwardly to a height substantially the same as the height of said projections, drive means for said chains for driving the respective said runs of said chains in opposite directions so as to convey billets in said compartments to opposite sides of said apparatus, and means for receiving billets from said compartments and directing said billets into planting furrows. 
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said hopper assembly includes a substantially V-sectioned hopper and wherein said chain runs are disposed in the base of said hopper. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus for planting elongate cane billets in planting furrows, said apparatus comprising a mobile frame assembly, a bin assembly on said frame assembly for holding cane billets to be planted, an elongate hopper assembly supported adjacent said bin assembly and extending transversely to the direction of movement of said apparatus, means for gathering billets from said bin assembly and transferring said billets into said hopper assembly, a pair of conveyor means associated with said hopper assembly and arranged to receive billets therefrom, each said conveyor means having a run extending longitudinally of said hopper assembly, the respective said runs of said conveyor means being disposed adjacent, and extending substantially parallel to each other, said conveyor means including a plurality of spaced apart billet engaging projections defining therebetween respective compartments for individual said billets, said billets when disposed in said compartments lying substantially parallel to said conveyor runs, drive means for said conveyor means for driving the respective said runs of said conveyor means in opposite directions so as to convey billets in said compartments to opposite sides of said apparatus, and chute means at said opposite sides of said apparatus for receiving billets from said conveyor means and directing said billets into planting furrows. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said billet engaging projections extend upwardly from said runs and there being provided an elongate divider between said runs, said divider extending upwardly to substantially the same height of said projections. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said gathering means comprises an elongate rotor extending generally parallel to said hopper assembly and disposed in an upper portion of said bin assembly, and drive means for said rotor for causing rotation thereof so that said rotor engages billets at upper levels in said bin assembly and transfers said billets into said hopper assembly. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said rotor includes a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced vanes defining respective billet receiving grooves therebetween. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to claim 6 and including wiper means disposed above said rotor and extending longitudinally thereof, said wiper means including a plurality of spaced apart wiping fingers and means for moving said fingers longitudinally of said rotor to engage billets carried by said rotor and cause said billets to lie longitudinally of said grooves. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said hopper assembly includes a substantially V-sectioned hopper and wherein said conveyor runs extend along the base of said hopper. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to claim 3 and including a tyne assembly for forming said planting furrow, said tyne assembly including a tyne member and means for supporting said tyne member for adjustable vertical movement, and therebeing provided biasing means for biasing said tyne member towards the ground for formation of said furrow but permitting said tyne member to move upwardly upon striking an obstruction. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to claim 9 and including actuator means associated with said tyne member supporting means and selectively acutable to cause said tyne member to move upwardly against the bias of said biasing means. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus according to claim 9 and including furrow closing discs supported on said frame assembly rearwardly of said tyne assembly, said discs closing said planting furrow after the deposit of said billet therein. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus according to claim 9 and including a pair of said tyne assemblies disposed on opposite sides of said apparatus for forming a pair of planting furrows and wherein said chute means includes a pair of chutes disposed at the respective opposite sides of said apparatus for directing billets to said respective furrows. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said bin assembly includes a pair of fixed side walls and a movable floor portion and means for elevating said floor portion to direct billets in said bin assembly towards said gathering means. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said floor portion includes two pivotally interconnected parts and therebeing provided means associated with said parts to prevent said parts moving pivotally away from each other in a first direction and actuating means connected between said parts and being selectively actuable to pivot said parts towards each other in the opposite direction. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus according to claim 3 and including a pair of paddle wheels disposed at the respective opposite sides of said apparatus and adjacent said conveyor means, and drive means for rotatably driving said paddle wheels to cause said paddle wheels to displace excess billets from said compartments.